Petunia plant named Revolution White

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a decumbent type petunia plant having long stems. The plant has abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms, and the whole bush remains in bloom for a considerable period of time. The flowers are single and large and the petals are a yellowish white color with vivid yellow green lines radiating from pale greenish yellow color bottom throat portion. The plant is highly resistant to rain, heat, and drought.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petuniaplant obtained from bud mutation of `Revolution Brilliantpink`.

Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding andpotting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of thepetunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have ahigh resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold. Accordingly, thisinvention was aimed at obtaining a new variety of decumbent habitpetunia plant having long stems, a great profusion of blooms, petalcolor is white, the bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period oftime, and a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold.

The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention obtainedaccidentally from bud mutation of a crossed variety, `RevolutionBrilliantpink` (see, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), which originated from acrossing of `Recoverer Scarletred` as the female parent and a wild typeof petunia plant native to Brazil as the pollen parent, in 1989 at theYachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., residing at 755Owadasinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan. The new variety of thepresent invention originated as a spontaneous bud mutation of unknowncausation. The resulting new variety was propagated by cutting, and thengrown as a trial by flower bedding. The botanical characteristics of theplants were then examined, using `Revolution Brilliantpink` forcomparison, from the spring of 1990. As a result, it was concluded thatthis petunia plant is clearly distinguishable from the comparativevariety `Revolution Briliantpink`, in flower color, while maintainingbeneficial characteristics thereof, and it is further distinguishablefrom any other variety, whose existence is known to us. This new varietyof petunia plant has been named `Revolution White`.

In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with theHorticultural Colour Chart of the Royal Horticultural Society, London,England (RHS Color Chart), and the Japan Color Standard forHorticultural Plant (JHS Color Chart).

The variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink`, which induced bud mutation ofthis new variety, is presently maintained at the aforementioned YachiyoFarm of the Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and Plant BiotechnologyLaboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of Suntory Ltd., and ismarketed worldwide. The main botanical characteristics of `RevolutionBrilliantpink` are as follows.

Plant:

Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down where potted in a hangingpot.

Plant height.--15-20 cm.

Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-80 cm fromthe base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm indiameter.

Growth.--Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion ofblooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period oftime.

Blooming period.--Late March to late September, in the southern Kantoarea, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period.

Stem:

Thickness.--Main stem 2.5-3.5 mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.0 mm.

Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A - 145A, JHS 3507 - 3712).

Pubescence.--Normal.

Branching.--Over-abundant.

Length of internode.--1.5-1.7 cm before blooming; 3.0-4.0 cm duringblooming.

Leaf:

Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming.

Shape.--Lanceolate.

Size (average).--6.0-7.0 cm×2.5-3.5 cm.

Thickness.--0.6-0.8 mm.

Color.--Moderate olive green to strong yellow green R.H.S. 146A - 143A,JHS 3508 - 3308).

Pubescence.--Few.

Flower: Opening obliquely upward.

Type.--Single.

Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb.

Diameter.--7.0-8.0 cm, large.

Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79A -79B, JHS 9516 - 9210); when open, dark purplish red (R.H.S. 71A, JHS9509); at full bloom, vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 74A, JHS 9507 - 9207),with deep reddish purple (R.H.S. 77A, JHS 9209 - 9210) lines radiatingfrom a dark purple (R.H.S. 83A, JHS 8609 - 8610) center portion. Thereverse side of the petal is a vivid reddish purple color (R.H.S. 74A,JHS 9208 - 9206). The petal has a metallic luster.

Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a grayish olive green(R.H.S. 137A, JHS 3716) stigma, and 5 normal stamens each having a deeppurple (R.H.S. 86A, JHS 8307) anther and a light purple (R.H.S. 87D, JHS8603) filament.

Peduncle.--1.5-2.0 cm in thickness, and 1.5-2.0 cm in length.

Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain,heat, and drought. Also high resistance to disease, particularly graymold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest.

This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, `Revolution White`, wasasexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned Yachio Farm ofKeisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory,Institute for Fundamental Research of Suntory Ltd., and the homogeneityand stability thereof were confirmed.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new variety of petunia plant has a decumbent habit and long stems,and thus is very different from a similar variety, `RecovererScarletred`, having an upright growth habit, and then is distinguishablefrom the indicated parent variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink`, havingflower of vivid purplish red color with metallic luster. The plant hasabundant branching and a great profusion of blooms, and the whole bushremains in bloom for a considerable period of time, longer than theblooming period of `Recoverer Blue`, and the same as that of `RevolutionBrilliantpink`. The flowers are single, and large, and petals are ayellowish white color (R.H.S. 155D, JHS 2501), with vivid yellow greenlines radiating from a light purple center portion. The plant is highlyresistant to rain, heat, and drought.

This variety, `Revolution White`, is substantially the same as theindicated parent variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink`, except for thecolor of flower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph giving a partial view of the new variety ofpetunia plant planted in a flower bed;

FIG. 2 is a photograph of flowers of the new variety of petunia plant;

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing, in numerical order, a branch having anopen flower (3), a current shoot (4), a bud (5), a side view of theflower (6), a front view of the flower (7), a rear view of the flower(8), an interior view of the flower (9), and pistil and stamens (10), ofthe new variety of petunia plant; and

FIG. 4 is a photograph showing, in numerical order, a branch having anopen flower (1), a flower (2), a bud (3), and a current shoot (4) of thecomparative variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink`, in comparison withcorresponding items (5-8) of the new variety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of petuniaplant `Revolution White` are as follows.

Plant:

Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down where potted in a hangingpot.

Plant height.--15-20 cm.

Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-75 cm fromthe base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm indiameter.

Growth.--Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion ofblooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period oftime.

Blooming period.--Late March to late September, in the southern Kantoarea, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period.

Stem:

Thickness.--Main stem 4.0-6.5 mm.

Anthocyanin pigmentation.--Absent.

Pubescence.--Medium.

Branching.--Over-abundant.

Length of internode.--2.5-4.0 cm.

Leaf:

Leaf attaching angle.--Horizontal.

Shape.--Lanceolate.

Size (average).--3.5-5.5 cm×2.0-4.0 cm.

Thickness.--0.5 mm.

Color.--Strong Yellow green (R.H.S. 146A, JHS 3508).

Pubescence.--Medium.

Flower: Opening obliquely upward.

Type.--Single.

Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb.

Shape of tip.--Blunt.

Lobation.--Medium.

Undulation of margin.--Weak.

Diameter.--8.0-8.5 cm, large.

Petal color.--At full blooming time, yellowish white (R.H.S. 155D, JHS2501), with vivid yellow green (R.H.S. 144B, JHS 3506) lines at petaland dull red purple (R.H.S. 70A, JHS 2903) lines at throat portionradiating from pale greenish yellow (R.H.S. 10D, JHS 2903) bottom throatportion. The outside of the petal is a yellowish white (R.H.S. 155D, JHS2501).

Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil, and 5 normal stamens. Pistilshape is thin and stamens shape is small.

Peduncle.--Length is medium and 1.8-2.2 mm in thickness.

Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain,heat, drought and cold. Also high resistnace to disease, particularlygray mold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest. The new variety ofthe present invention, just as its parent variety, has been observed toexhibit at least some self-fertility.

This new variety of petunia plant is most suitable for flower beddingand potting, particularly in hanging pots or planters, and furtherexcellent for ground cover.

The plant of this new variety, `Revolution White` is presently plantedand maintained at the Yachiyo Farm of the Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc.,residing at 755 Owadasinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan, and PlantBiotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SuntoryLtd., residing at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun,Yamanashi-ken, Japan.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of petunia plant, substantiallyas herein illustrated and described, characterized particularly as tonovelty by (A) being a decumbent habit plant having long stems, (B) anabundant branching and a great profusion of blooms, the whole bushremaining in bloom for a considerable period of time, (C) flowers thatare single and large, the petals having a yellowish white color withvivid yellow green lines radiating from pale greenish yellow colorbottom throat portion, and (d) a high resistance to rain, heat, cold,and disease.